Bernard m



(No Model.) I

B. M. ABELL. MEANS FOR ORNAMENTING SHEET METAL ARTICLES.

' Patented Jan. 13,1891..

L V I flea IIVI/E/VTUR WITNESSES.

Wpb ATTORNEY,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- BERNARD M. ABELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MEANS FiOR ORN AMENTlNG SHEET-METAL ARTICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,413, dated January13, 1891. Application filed November 11, 1890. Serial No. 371,114. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERNARD M. ABELL, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means forOrnamenting Sheet-Metal Articles, of which the following is aspecification.

The invention relates to improvements in means for ornamenting sheetmetal; and it consists in the novel devices hereinafter described andclaimed, whereby sheet-metal articles-such as silver bowls, pitchers,and the like-may have imparted to their surfaces either in relief or ininictglt'o the beautiful ornamental designs and effects which are now inthe larger silver-ware factories produced by the slow and tediousprocess known, as snarling.

In accordance with my invention I take the blank Which approximates thesize and general shape of the bowl or other article to be made andsubject it to the action of the devices constituting my invention,whereby its surfaces or Walls are by means of the pressure of waterinternally or externally applied caused to conform to the surfaces ofsuitabledies and thereby to receive the proper ornamental designs eitherin relief or in intctgli'o.

The particular nature of the devices constituting my invention will beset forth hereinafter, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which-- Figurel is a central vertical sectional view of the deviceswhen arranged to apply the pressure of water within the silver bowl forthe purpose of forcing the walls of the latter outward against thesurfaces of the sectional dieinplan view of a casting plate, alsohereinafter referred to.

In the drawings, A designates a casing or holder of metal and made in asuitable number of sections held together by means of the casing A, andto this end in the lower part of the casing is provided thecasting-plate D, having the gate E and being capable of rotation. Incasting the sections of the die C within the casing A the metal for thesections will in succession be poured through the gate E, the plate Dbeing turned as one section is formed a sufficient distance to enablethe metal to form the adjoining section.

In order to secure the finest ornamental effect-s in the finishedarticle, I prefer to impart to the matrix of the die 0 an electrotypesurface, since this will permit of very fine chasing, and then to givesaid matrix a steel finish in order that its surface may be hard anddurable and the fine chasing be capable of transmission to the silverbowl or other article without danger of injury to the die.

The lower end of the holder or casing A is provided with the threadedaperture F to receive, when desired, the externally-threaded plug G, forthe purposes hereinafter explained, and the upper end of the casing orholder A is open and provided with an in- Wardly prOjecting annularshoulder II.

Vithin the open upper end of the holder A is arranged theinternally-threaded nut I, having upon its lower end theoutwardlyprojecting annular shoulder J, which when in position comesagainst the lower surface of the annular shoulder H, as shown, andthereby the nut is held securely in place; Beneath the nut I and withinthe casing A is provided the steel collar or ring K, which forming aseat for the lower corresponding ly-tapered end of the water-cylinder L,as shown. The lower surface of the collar K has concentric elevated anddepressed rings M, which engage a correspondingly-ribbed ICO flange Naround the neck of the blank 0, to i be made 1nto a bowl or otherarticle, said flange N resting upon and engaging the upper surface ofthe sectional die 0, having ribs which correspond with those of saidflange and collar. The water-cylinder L has an externallythreaded lowerend, which is screwed into the nut I, bringing the tapered extremity ofsaid cylinder firmly against the tapered surface of the collar K, andthereby forming a water-tight joint, while at the same time permittingthe extreme lower edge of said cylinder to almost enter the mouth orneck of the blank 0. At a suitable point above the nut I the diameter ofthe cylinder L is increased, and in this enlarged portion of saidcylinder is the plunger P, which has suitable packing Q, and isconnected with the rod R, extending upward through the head of thecylinder, and having the plate S upon its upper extremity.

In the employment of the devices above described, referring particularlyto Fig. 1 of the drawings, the sections of the casing A are broughttogether with the sectional die 0, collar K, and nut I in position, theblank 0 having previously been inclosed within the sections of the die0.. The parts of the easing A having been brought together and inclosingthe said blank 0, die 0, collar K, and nut I, said parts are secured bymeans of the rings B B, whereupon the lower end of the cylinder L isscrewed into the nut I until its lower tapered extremity is firmlyseated upon the tapered upper surface of the collar K. When the partsare in this position it will be apparent from an inspection of thedrawings that the water within the cylinder L will fill the blank 0 andform a column above the same. The plungerPwill then be depressed bymeans of suitable power applied upon the plate S or upper end of the rodR, the effect of which 'will be to transmit the pressure through thebody of water to the walls of the blank 0, and thereby cause the latterto expand and fill all of the outlines previously formed in the matrixof the sectional die (J, whereby the walls of said blank 0 will re eeivethe proper ornamental outlines or figures from said matrix. It will thusbe observed that by means of the pressure of water within the blank 0the surfaces of said blank will at one operation receive the entireornamental figures or designs previously cut into the matrix of thesectional die.

I It is important to note that by reason of the ribbed flange Nencircling the neck of the blank 0 the said blank may be securely heldbetween the collar K and the upper end of the sectional die 0, and thatby reason of the arrangement of the said collar K with the not I andannular shoulder II the device is rendered exceedingly strong anddurable and capable of withstanding great pressure applied to theplunger P for the purpose of expanding the walls of the blank 0 into thecrevices of the matrix in the die 0.

The main object of the construction illustrated in Fig. 1 is to ornamentthe walls of the blank 0 in relief; .but there are many instances inwhich it is desirable to apply ornamental figures to the blank inintaglio, and in such instances the sectional die 0 will be made with amatrix having plain surfaces, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and the blank 0will be reversed as to its position and receive a sectional die C withinit, the walls of which sectional die will have in z'utagl'io theoutlines it is desired shall be applied to the blank 0, as shown in Fig.2. When the sectional die 0 is placed within the blank 0, its protrudingportion will be seated in a recess formed in the upper end of thescrew-plug G, whose upper'tapered surface will be screwed firmly againstthe lower tapered surface of the additional collar K, which will holdthe ribbed flange N closely against the lower end of the die C in thesame manner as said flangeN in Fig. 1 is held against the upper edge ofthe die C Upon reference to Fig. 2 it will be noted that a chamber isformed around the blank 0, and that upon pressure being applied to theplunger I the force thereof will be expended over the exterior surfacesof the blank 0, causing the walls of the latter to be forced into thecrevices or outlines cut in the surface of the die 0, and therebyproducing on said blank 0 the ornamental figuresjn intuglio.

By means of my invention I am able through the pressure of water toornament the blank 0 either in relief or in intaglio, and at the sametime the blank will be very securely held and the parts of the device soarranged as to be capable of withstanding the great pressure which inuse will be brought against it without danger of becoming impaired or ofspoiling the product. After the blank 0 has been sufliciently treatedthe rings 13 B may be removed, when the parts of the casing A willseparate and leave the dies and blank in condition to be withdrawn. Theflange N may be detached from the blank 0 where the nature of thearticle to be produced does not require it.

W hen it is desired to cast the sections of the die 0 within the casingA, the parts of said casing will be assembled and inclose the collar K,nut I, plate D, and blank 0, (see Fig. 1,) whereupon the soft metal willbe poured through the gate E in said plate D, said plate being turnedfrom time to time as the sections of the die C are in succession cast.The metal being soft and hot, the turning of the plate B may be readilyaccomplished and such metal as may have remained in the gate E will bythe turning of said plate be cut oft. It will not be necessary, however,to cast the sections of the die 0 within the casing A unless it isdesired to do so; but when the sec tions of said die are so cast theblank 0 will then serve as a pattern and must have prcviously receivedthe ornamental configurations it is desired shall be formed in the matrix of the said die G, in order that upon the removal of said patternand the completion IIO of the die the matrix will bear the ornamentalfigures and be capable of imparting the same to subsequent blanks O,which will have plain surfaces, and which it is desired shall beornamented by the expansion of their walls into the said matrix.

hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The casing containing the die whose matrix incloses the blank,combined with the threaded nut at the upper end of said casing, thewater-cylinder held in said nut and supporting a column of water incontact with the Walls of said blank, and the plunger in said cylinder,substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

2. The casing containing the die whose matrix incloses the blank,combined with the threaded nut at the upper end of said casing, thecollar or ring between saidn utand said die, the water-cylinder held insaid nut and seated on said collar, and the plunger in said cylinder,substantially as set forth.

3. The casing containing the die whose matrix incloses the blank, saidcasing having the shoulder H, combined with the internallythreaded nutI, having the shoulder J, the

roller K between said die and said nut, the externally threadedwater-cylinder L, held within said nut, and the plunger within saidcylinder, substantially as set forth.

4. The casing containing the die whose matrix incloses the blank,combined with the collar which grips the flange of said blank againstsaid die, the internally-threaded nut in the end of said casing, and thewater-cylinder screwed into said nut and containing the plunger,substantially as set forth.

5. The casing containing the die whose matrix incloses the blank,combined with the internally-threaded nut at one end of said casing, thescrew-plug and collar at the other end of said casing, the die withinsaid blank, the water-cylinder held in said nut and supporting a columnof water in contact with said blank, and the plunger in said cylinder,substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 8th day of November, A. D. 1890.

BERNARD M. ABELL.

Witnesses:

WILLIE OSTRANDER, CHAS. O. GILL.

